


Redemption Starts Small

by Gothams_Only_Wolf



Series: The Care and Handling of Silver Chickabos [4]
Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII
Genre: AVALANCHE meets the Remnants, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Chickabos Verse, Gen, M/M, Tifa and Yuffie get used to the silverettes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-28
Updated: 2017-01-28
Packaged: 2018-09-20 10:08:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,164
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9486587
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gothams_Only_Wolf/pseuds/Gothams_Only_Wolf
Summary: "They're... not so bad.""Yeah.""... Can I teach them how to steal your Materia?""Yuffie!""If you can get them to sit still long enough."





	

**Author's Note:**

> You thought I abandoned this series? Nah. VII is near and dear to my heart. I thought it high time that the rest of AVALANCHE _really_ met the Remnants. This time around it's Tifa and Yuffie. Nanaki and Cait Sith will be another fic. 
> 
> Enjoy~ 
> 
> CAVEAT: This is not even remotely canon at this point. Everything in FFVII canon has already happened aside from DoC. Some characters might be OOC.

* * *

Yazoo's scream wakes Cloud from a sound sleep and he snags the Hollow Blade from First Tsuguri as a second scream—Loz's and more distraught—pierces the quiet of the Wallace residence. He launches from the second story window and lands in front of the Remnants, blade at the ready as he blocks an incoming weapon. 

It lands with a distinct - **THUNK!** \- that Cloud would know anywhere. 

"Yuffie?" He asks as the Remnants cling to his waist and whine at levels only Cloud can hear. 

"Cloud, what are they doing here?" Tifa questions as she gets out of the bar's old truck. Denzel trails behind her with a curious look at the trembling silverettes behind him. 

"They live with Barret and Marlene. He took them in when I asked him. Can you give us a moment?" Cloud answers steadily as Marlene opens the porch door cautiously with Barret behind her. 

Wine colored eyes trace over the fearful trio who flinch when she looks at them. "... Sure." 

Cloud stabs the Hollow Blade into the dirt and turns to face the Remnants. Loz is sniffling, Yazoo is still crying and Kadaj... Kadaj has retreated behind his adult persona. Not good, especially after the progress they've all made lately. 

«Come here.» Cloud says in Nibel, crooning in the back of his throat when all three try to tuck themselves into his hold. «I'm sure she didn't mean it. You look a lot like Him at a glance, little ones, so her reaction is very strong. I promise she's nice under all the bravado.» Tifa is gaping openly as he continues. «You already know Tifa. Loz, are you up to apologizing to her?» 

Loz shuffles in his slippers and chikabo onesie but agrees with a mumbled, "Yes, big brother." 

«Yazoo, are you okay?» Cloud soothes them, getting them closer to their usual selves. Yazoo nods and lets go with a soft exhale. 

«Kadaj, look at me.» 

"I'm fine." He sneers, tilting his chin up in defiance. "I am not going to be—" 

Cloud wordlessly snarls. Kadaj bows his head, bearing the back of his neck as Cloud places his hand over it. He sighs softly, «I'm sorry.»

Kadaj buries his face in the crook of Cloud's neck, back to the six-year-old Cloud knows better. 

"Cloud? Can I apologize to Ms. Lockhart now?" Loz asks. 

"Yeah. I'm here if you need me," he assures in Common as Yazoo and Kadaj take their usual positions; Kadaj on one hip and Yazoo holding his hand but looking at Denzel with an air of curiosity. 

"Ms. Lockhart, I'm sorry I hit you and shocked you. I'm sorry I asked where _**She**_ was when you didn't know. Sorry I was mean and hurt you," Loz recites carefully, trying to remember what Cloud is teaching them. "I know it's wrong now." 

Tifa looks like she's been struck by the Venus Gospel but she recovers quickly enough. "I accept your apology but not your past actions. That sound fair?" She responds firmly. 

"Yeah." Loz agrees before he takes a deep breath and then says, "You can hit back if you want." 

Tifa holds out her hand and Loz looks back at Cloud. Cloud motions that he should take it. "Loz... How old are you?" 

Loz fidgets and looks to Barret and Marlene, the whites of his eyes much wider than they should be. 

"Loz." Tifa's voice is much like Cloud's when he wants an answer. "Please?" 

"Eleven." The eldest Remnant chokes out. "'M eleven." 

Yuffie's jaw drops and Denzel makes a noise of surprise. 

"Well, I'm twenty-five. I'm an adult. Adults don't hurt children your age." She declares solemnly. 

"But, what about...?" Loz gestures to the rest of him, his large frame towering over Tifa. 

"Doesn't count." Tifa reaches up and taps her index and middle finger against Loz's forehead. "What's up here does," she replies, "and you've already said you're sorry. Did you mean it?" 

"Yes." Loz answers and he's just about done with strangers for the day. Adults, anyway. 

"Denzel, Marlene, how 'bout you show the triplets your favorite indoor game?" Cloud murmurs as he lets go of Yazoo's hand and turns to head inside. "Let's mosey."

* * *

With the Remnants being distracted by Marlene and Denzel, Cloud, Tifa and Yuffie head for the truck and drive a distance away. 

"Okay, what was that?!" Yuffie flails after she stops looking green from the ride. 

"The Remnants aren't adults." He tells them bluntly. 

"They look like it but... You're saying they're not?" Tifa's more thoughtful than the last time she saw them. 

"As far as I can tell," Cloud explains, "Hojo built them before ShinRa's fall. Loz was Clone # 13, Yazoo # 15 and Kadaj... Kadaj was # 18. He _accelerated_ their growth, for lack of a nicer word. So their mental ages are their real ones. Their bodies are much older." 

"You mean that sick old fart made more clones?" Yuffie asks seriously, her brows pulling down sharply as the implications set in. "If he wasn't dead already, I'd give Vinny a call and ask him to shoot Dr. Grease-Face again." 

"I'm in agreement, Yuffie." Tifa huffs before she questions, "So how old are the other two?" 

"Loz is the oldest at eleven, Yazoo at eight and Kadaj is the youngest at six. We picked out a birthday and they all wanted it on the same day so they've only recently turned that age." He murmurs as Tifa paces. 

Yuffie perches on the truckbed's side and frowns before she does a 180, a grin creeping across her face. 

"They're... not so bad." comes Tifa's assessment. "Looks like you adopted some more kids." 

"Yeah." 

"... Can I teach them how to steal your Materia?" Yuffie teases. 

"Yuffie!" Tifa chides, rolling her eyes at the antics of Wutai's White Rose. 

"If you can get them to sit still long enough." Cloud deadpans, laughing as both Tifa and Yuffie pause to stare. He laughs until he's almost silent, slapping at his thigh before he collects himself with a sniff. "Mm, haven't had one of those in a while. Not since Kadaj got stuck in the vents." 

"... How'd he even fit?" Yuffie pokes at Cloud as he hops into the back of the truck. 

"Well, that's the thing. I have no clue..." Cloud explains as Tifa turns on the music and drives slowly back to the house.

* * *

When Cloud alights from the back of the truck, he's mobbed by most of the kids. He smiles at them all and waits as they wriggle impatiently. He tucks the Hollow Blade into Fenrir absently before turning to the kids entirely. 

"Cloud, you gotta play with us! We can't find Yaz," Loz gently tugs on Cloud's hand as Marlene holds Kadaj's. Denzel's enthusiasm, though a little quieter, makes Cloud agree. 

"Alright. Let's go find the last kitten, hmm?" 

"Yeah!" Denzel cheers. 

"Mm-hmm!" Marlene agrees with her smile encouraging Loz and Kadaj. 

"Okay!" Loz chirrups. 

"Mm." Kadaj is looking tired. Cloud scoops him up and coaxes him to wrap his arms around Cloud's neck. "He's not in his spot." 

"That so? Let's see..." Cloud sends out a Libra pulse, checking up on everyone and catches a flicker of a Stop spell at work. "Gotcha." 

Cloud places a finger against his lips and winks as he tip-toes up the stairs and to the left, peering up at the attic play-room that the Remnants love. He points up and keeps going with the stairs not even creaking under his boots as he sneaks up them to peer over the edge. 

Sure enough, Yazoo's MP is sputtering and the spell collapses right as Cloud pokes it with a tiny Gravity. 

"Ack!" Yazoo pouts at Cloud but hums at the sight of the other kids. "Was it fair? We can play again..." 

"It helps build up your MP so I don't see why it can't be part of Hide-n-Seek. Just be careful and let each other know before you play, okay?" Cloud says and the others agree with nodding their heads yes. 

"Okay." All of them chorus. 

"Umm, big brother?" Loz tugs on Cloud's arm and points at Kadaj. "I think 'Daj had an accident..." 

"It's okay. Today was kinda stressful." He hums as he checks Kadaj's butt with a soft pat. "Thank you for letting me know." 

"You're welcome."

* * *

Cloud reaches for Barret's hand as they both lean on the doorway, Barret on one side and Cloud on the other. Barret laces their fingers as they watch the Remnants sleep in a pile with Denzel and Marlene cuddling the silverettes. 

So much has changed in a year but Cloud's happy where he is right now; at home, surrounded by his friends and family and his delivery service is booming because he's one of the few who can get across the monster-infested lands. 

He leans on Barret and snuggles closer, humming as a familiar arm wraps around his waist. The mechanics are smoother now but Cloud chuckles softly at the memory of his first encounter with Barret. 

"What, Spikey?" Barret rumbles as he pillows his chin in Cloud's hair. 

"Remembering the first time you pointed this," Cloud strokes along the mechanical arm, "at me. We were all a mess, hmm? Me with my head, you with your AVALANCHE and vendetta against ShinRa." 

"Damn right we were. With the improvements, I think I can pick you up. You wanna try?" Barret agrees. 

"You don't know until you've tried—Eeep!" Cloud almost— _almost_ —yelps out loud but manages to keep it quiet for the sake of the sleeping kids. "Barret!" He hisses in embarassment as Barret walks past the bookshelves full of parenting books, fairy tales and other novels from before the rise and fall of ShinRa. 

Barret grins and presses a kiss to Cloud's forehead before Cloud rolls his eyes and reaches up for a kiss that has Barret's arms shaking. "You're heavier than you look, Cloud." 

"Sorry." 

"Nah. Nothing to apologize for," Barret says as he sets Cloud on the couch. Cloud looks to see Tifa and Yuffie stifling laughter and sticks his tongue out without a second thought. 

Both of them are laughing so hard they're squeaking, red in the face as they get it all out before breaking into giggles everytime they look at Cloud. 

"Hehe," Tifa clears her throat and makes an attempt not to laugh again. "So I guess the kids are a bad influence on our stoic leader." 

«'Stoic leader?' I'm not that bad. I talk to you and AVALANCHE all the time.» Cloud huffs as he sits up. 

«I know. But you've been better at it since Marlene and Denzel came and now even more with the... Remnants. Serious question, why don't they have last names?» Tifa points out. 

Cloud holds up a finger and tracks down the papers from the hidey hole the Remnants directed him to a couple weeks back. 

"Sorry, I think this should include everyone. Tifa asked me why they don't have last names. It's mostly because reading any of the research makes me want to burn it but the other... I don't know how he did it but biologically, they're Vincent's and some unknown woman's. The records never state her name, which is typical of Hojo, but Vincent's name stands out pretty clearly. He must've pulled something from me too. 'Genetic contribution of Subject C.' That's me in a Mako-induced coma because of poisoning but the point is... We don't know which last name to give them. If they even want one." 

"Cloud?" Yazoo's rubbing at one eye and his Moogle plushie is touching the floor. "I don't feel good." 

He vaults over the back of the couch and cradles Yazoo's face gently. There's signs of MP exhaustion. Cloud digs around in his pocket for an Elixir and hands it over for Yazoo to take. 

"C'mon, back to bed, hmm?" He soothes as he scoops Yazoo up, tucking the plushie back into the silverette's arms. 

"We talked about it." Yazoo mumbles and Cloud pauses on his way back to the kids' room. "The name thing." 

"So how long were you standing there?" He asks as he settles Yazoo back into the pile. 

"Long enough." Yazoo say quietly. 

"Did you have one in mind?" Cloud murmurs as he tucks Yazoo in. 

"Yours," Yazoo yawns and is asleep again as Cloud cards his fingers through long silver hair. 

He slowly extracts himself and walks back in a slight daze. 

"So, what'd he say?" Barret guides Cloud into a chair. 

"They, uh, they want mine." 

"Sounds like you've got a family, Cloud." Tifa teases but she gently squeezes his hand and says softly in their shared tongue. «Three more wolf-resistant country bumpkins, huh?»

«Yeah.»

«I like the sound of that.» She hums. 

"Hey, no fair! What'd you two say anyway?" Yuffie complains as she pops up. 

Cloud and Tifa share a look that has both of them smiling as Yuffie sighs dramatically and rants (quietly) to Barret about the language thing.

**Author's Note:**

> Comment, complain, ect.


End file.
